Burgundy Wine Route – A Traveler’s Guide

The wine route Burgundy Created in collaboration with the Order of Winemakers (La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin) in the 30s, it is the first wine route in the world. They created a route that passes through 20 villages and wineries, among the largest and most famous in Burgundy.

On a 60 km route that begins in the suburbs of Dijon, the capital of the department, and stretches south to the town of Santenay, and passes by many of the most prestigious wine estates in France, if not the entire world – names that inspire respect and excite the taste buds and the sacred feelings of those who know the subject. The route opened in the summer of 1937 and citizens France They were invited for a tour and tasting at the best wineries that most of them had only heard about and dreamed about.

Burgundy wine routes

Over the years, and under the influence of the “Order of Knights of Wine Tasting,” additional wineries were added to the route and, in fact, the Bourgogne Wine Route grew and branched out into several different routes, which I will now review.

Route des Grands Crus – The route of the great wines

The original route was renamed the “Route des Grands Crus,” the “Road of the Great Wines,” which many call the “Royal Road.” This road (map below) passes through the vineyards surrounding centuries-old wine estates, vineyards planted in the Middle Ages – and even earlier – by the agricultural monks who held all the secrets. Back then, only they could read and write to “remember” what treatment was good for the vine and what wine blend was more successful than others.

Gevrey-Chambertin

After the southern suburbs of Dijon, the road passes the famous Gevrey-Chambertin estate, where archaeological excavations (2008) found remains of vines and fragments of pottery with wine marks dating back to the 1st century BC, evidence of the wine customs of the Roman soldiers in the province of Gaul. Today, the estate, around which a charming town has developed over the years, produces dark red wines, rich in flavors that are not very strong, 10-11% alcohol, mainly from Pinot-Noir grapes (Noir = black, dark).

Like many wine estates, the Gevrey-Chambertin brand brings together several different plots and producers that produce similar wines from the same grapes, but differ due to the “Terroir”, that magic word that embodies the earth, the sun, the weather, the wind, the barrel wood, the winemaker’s patience and other magical qualities that make the wine what it is…. On the supermarket shelf you will find these wines at prices ranging from 20 to 100 euros, but in the auction halls, and also in the secret or private ones, you will also find a red wine from the David Duban wine estate, AOC, 2014, at the modest price of 983 euros.

In contrast, a case of 6 bottles of Cotes de Nuits 2010, from the Romanee Conti estate, was sold to a wine enthusiast from Hong Kong for €30,664. Every year, 8 of the 10 most expensive wines that pass through the hands of the world’s wine sales are from the Bourgogne region (there’s a good chance that the other 2 are from the Bordeaux region…). Continuing along the same wine route, you’ll reach villages, or wine estates like Vougeot, Vosne-Romanee, Nuit-St.Georges – names that are no less prestigious.

Beaune

Almost halfway between Dijon in the north and Santenay, lies the town of Beaune (pronounced Bon). It is a beautiful little town that is worth a visit even for those who don’t speak wine. The town is considered the wine capital of Bourgogne – not because of a special vineyard or a great wine, but because of one event that takes place every year, on a weekend in mid-November (this year, November 13-15, 2020).

So, what is the story of Beaune? As we know, the educated people of the Middle Ages were only the clergy. The monks (men) were engaged in sacred work, and in their free time the “free” were engaged in agriculture for a living. In the appropriate areas they produced wine, champagne, cognac and similar drinks. And the nuns (women)? From the dawn of man’s creation, women were engaged in sewing and embroidery, cooking, witchcraft and medicine.

When the monks of Burgundy produced the best wines in the world, the Duke of Beaune, who lived in the city of Beaune, built a hospital for the poor of the province. Les Hospices de Beaune, also called Hotel-Dieu (=House of God), was built starting in 1443. The first patient was admitted to the hospital on January 1, 1452, under the direction of the nuns-sisters. The central hall, the “Hall of the Poor”, measuring 50 meters long and 16 meters wide, is decorated and adorned with period paintings from the world of the Bible and the New Testament, as was customary in the period.

In its center were treatment and dining tables, and around its perimeter were personal cells with patient beds and medical treatment areas. Various service buildings were built around the main building, linked by corridors, stairs and covered passages, all around a large courtyard into which carriages entered through a large wooden gate. Until World War II, the complex served as a hospital, and after that it served as a retirement home under the responsibility of the municipality for those who could not afford other institutions. In 1980, the nursing home was closed and became part of the city's museums.

And how does all this relate to wine? Initially, they were treated at the city's poor hospital. Over the years, the nuns-sisters gained extensive medical experience and their mission went far and wide. Many patients preferred to receive medical treatment at the municipal hospital of Beaune, rather than at other hospitals and doctors. The nuns-sisters, who work voluntarily and out of a religious mission, refused to accept payment for the treatments they provided. Many of the owners of the wine estates in the area who received medical treatment there gave the hospital small plots of vine as a token of appreciation for the dedication shown by the medical teams, and over the years, the hospital's property accumulated quite large areas of vineyards.

The male monks who lived and worked on the hospital grounds in other medical jobs (carpenters, locksmiths, cooks, etc.) were recruited to take care of the vineyards. Over time, the hospital in the city of Beaune found itself the owner of vineyard plots from which the monks produced increasing quantities of wine that improved over the years, with the accumulated experience. Some of the wine grapes were sold to the wine estates in the area, and another part was used in the winery that was established in the hospital basement – ​​wine….

And what do you do when there is so much wine that the monks cannot “drink” it all? This is how the annual auction was invented at the hospital of Beaune. Over time, the quality of the local wine spread far and wide. Wine merchants came from ever greater distances, wine prices rose and bottles became rarer and more sought after year after year. Today, the Beaune auction is celebrated throughout the city with great fanfare and attracts buyers – professional and amateur – from all over the world, who invest huge sums in the small city, both in purchasing rare bottles of wine and in luxurious stays in restaurants, private clubs, hotels and other entertainment in the city during one weekend in November.

Chalon-sur-Saone Wine Route

Over the years, winemakers have discovered that the area around the small town of Chalon-sur-Saone (Chalon on the Saone River), in the south of the Bourgogne region, is characterized by low, round, and soft hills, where the soil is different, the weather is more relaxed, the vines are different, the water is liquid and transparent but different… We are back to the unknown and mysterious term “Terroir”. The hills were named “La Cote Chalonnaise” – the hills of Chalon.

The wines of the Chalon region are different from the wines of Bourgogne, but geographically they still belong to the same region – a new wine route has been created. The French – sloppy and indulgent in many things, but terribly strict when it comes to wine, have characterized in detail the wines produced in this part of the region:

• The wines are different, good, but not as “great” as those from the north (“La Cote d'Or”, “Golden Hills”), and from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Gamay grapes grown on a strip 25 km long and 7 km wide.
• Bouzeron – The only AOC wine around.
• Rully – Twenty-three different wine estates.
• Mercury – Thirty different wines.
• Givry – Seventeen wines.
• Montagny – Forty-nine types of wines – all white.

You and I will taste a glass of wine here and there (this is a tasting, not a simple sip), and we will probably be able to tell whether the wine is red or white. The locals will be able to distinguish between the taste of almonds, the residual raspberry flavors, the smell of mushrooms, the taste of pine, or even the residual cork flavors and a hint of pepper (what connoisseurs call Arrière-Goût, “back taste”).

The Chablis Wine Route

Then came Chablis…. For those who don’t know, Chablis is a small, nameless, and not even particularly beautiful (I visited) village in the northwestern part of the Bourgogne region. Only white grapes grow around this anonymous village. For us…. white grapes.

The French knew how to divide it into several different varieties:

• Petit Chablis (Chablie-petit)
• Chablis Chablis Premier Cru (Chablis-first-gen)
• Chablis Grand Cru (Chablie-varietal-large)

This is the place to insert a note: Just as the word “Terroir” has no exact translation, the term “Cru” also has no equivalent word in any language. Perhaps, the closest term in Hebrew is “tozer”, “katzir”, “peri”…. Learn French!

I am a huge fan of red wine, of all kinds. The only wines that can lead me astray and into bad culture (i.e. white) are Chenin Blanc (in the Loire region) and Chablis, produced around this small village in the north of the region. BurgundyAnyone who has not had a glass of Chablis wine, white, ice-cold – has never tasted wine!

The same winemakers who worked hard on the tour routes in the region have connected village to estate, road to junction and winery to barrel, creating another wine route in the region. Although shorter, it is unique to white wine only. The route begins at the eastern end in the village of Chablis, continues to the Clotilde Davenne wine estate in the village of Prehy, and continues to the celebrated Bersan wine estate in the village of Saint-Bris-le-Vineux.

Father Jean-Francois and his son Pierre-Louis, sons of a family that has been producing wine here since 1453, in underground labyrinths and tunnels in old, abandoned limestone quarries beneath the village alleys. The wine route then continues to the city of Auxerre, on the western border of the Bourgogne region. Although this route is among the Wine Routes The short ones – only 33 km – but along the way you will sip on some of the most special and exquisite white wines the world has to offer you.

The region is also one of the strongholds of early Christianity in Europe and is a fascinating tourist area, regardless of the wine. Towns like Auxerre, Vezelay, Cluny were for long periods home to monasteries and nunneries that shaped future European Christianity from the early centuries of the Middle Ages, with ancient and extremely rich churches and libraries that attracted some of the best theologians in all of Europe.

Want to travel the wine routes in Burgundy?

Did you like the article and would you like to build your own tour of the wine routes of Burgundy? You have two options. The first is to contact me by email.  yossi.drory@gmail.com And I would be happy to build you a personalized itinerary in the Burgundy region.

The second option is to build this trip yourself using the information found on the site. If you decide to do this, here are some articles that can help you:

Flights to France

The first step is to find a cheap flight to France. Since there are no direct flights between Israel and Dijon (the capital of Burgundy), you will need to get toParis OrLyonSo if you haven't bought a plane ticket yet, you are welcome to read the This article And there you will find a list of the best sites for booking tickets.

Car Rental

It is not possible to travel between wineries and small villages without using a car because the buses in the area are quite rare and slow. So whether you rent a car in Dijon, Paris or Lyon, it is highly recommended to read the article Car rental in France And there you will find tips and sites that will help you rent a car at a very friendly price.

Lodging

Since the Wine Route tour takes several days, it is recommended to find a base from which you can depart to the various wineries. Here are some places where we recommend hotels or apartments:

• Dijon: It is located right in the center of this region of the country, so you can easily get anywhere from there. It is also a relatively large city where you can easily find everything travelers need (food stores, restaurants, etc.), which makes it very convenient.
• Beaune: A charming town located, as mentioned, in the heart of Burgundy's main wine route. Beyond its strategic location, it is a town with a wonderful market that takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so if you decide to live there, make sure to be there on one of these days.
• Chalon (Chalon-sur-Saône): Another excellent option for accommodation while you travel among the various vineyards and wineries in the Burgundy region.

Guided tours

If you are not interested in renting a car and on the other hand you are interested in seeing the most famous wineries of the Burgundy region, you are welcome to choose one or more of the organized trips that can be found atLink this.